Should you find the religion best suited for YOU? Should you look for one that "satisfies" your particular need? SHOULD you have a "faith"? Will one be about as good as another? Read what God says about HOW you should search for truth!
EVERYONE knows there is no "cure" for the common cold. But you wouldn't guess it, listening to the advertisers. One spray reduces swelling, stops sneezing, relieves aches and pains. It doesn't come right out and claim to cure your cold, mind you, but on the other hand — what's left? If your tortured nasal passages are no longer swollen; your sneeze is gone; your aches and pains have disappeared — then you feel perfectly normal — your cold is gone. Still, everyone knows there is no such thing as a "cure" for the common cold.
How People Choose a Religion
Everyone "knows" one religion is about as good as another. Still, everyone who goes to church "knows" his particular brand of religion will probably get him to "heaven," or wherever he's going, a little more quickly, a little more efficiently, than all the others. Either he believes this, or he is knowingly settling for something like second best. Ever notice the remarkable similarity between claims of dozens of religious philosophies and the detergent ads? One claims it washes your clothes "cleaner than clean"! The fact that such a statement is an utter superfluity, an impossible exaggeration, never occurs to average housewives, apparently. Still another claims it gets your clothes "cleaner"! But ("cleaner" than WHAT? Other soaps and detergents? How can this be possible? All of them claim to get clothes "cleaner," too! How accurate would it be for you to adopt the idea that "all these detergent ads can't be WRONG!"? Let's ask the question another way. Can they all be right? If any one of them is to be believed — POSITIVELY — then every other one must automatically be assumed to be WRONG! If any one of them REALLY DOES get your clothes cleaner — then the unspoken inference is that they get your clothes cleaner than any other product! What about your personal religious philosophies? People say, "But ALL these religions, these organizations, these philosophies can't be wrong!" But can they ALL be RIGHT? Utterly impossible. If any ONE of them is RIGHT — and remember, they ALL DIFFER — then that one being right AUTOMATICALLY renders all others WRONG! But in "choosing" a religion, a faith, or a church — thousands pick and choose with the same careless abandon of housewives, selecting the colorful boxes of soaps and detergents from the shelves of the supermarket. Surveys show many frankly admit they attend their church because of its size, its standing in the community (being "reputable" or not), its nearness to their home, or, the parking facility. Only a few admitted they had given at least a little time to searching into what the church taught. Fewer still seemed to wonder WHETHER IT IS THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD! But God has not left it up to man to choose for HIMSELF a "religion." Almighty God REVEALS His TRUE religion — gives us HIS TRUTH. It's then up to us to either accept it and OBEY, or REJECT it, and find a "religion" of our own!
"Here's the Way I Look at It!"
You're living in the age of opinions. It's a broadminded age — an age of noninvolvement, don't rock the boat, keep out of controversy. Most people reason out in their own minds a "need" for religion in their lives. The symptoms may be frustration, worry, unsettled marriages, or a desire for social contact. Their reasons for seeking a "satisfactory" religion may include social pressures, environmental background, political or financial expediency, or, in some remote cases, an acute desire to seek spiritual knowledge. Some time ago, one of the current rash of "public opinion" type programs received a call from a woman who was obviously seeking some fundamental truths. The panel was composed of a Catholic priest, a rabbi, and a Protestant minister. The lady directed her question to the Protestant minister. She wanted some straight answers — wanted to get behind the obvious confusion in the rank and file of conflicting denominationalism, wanted to find the real TRUTH! She was advised to seek out a 9eputable'' church near her. She was urged to be sure it was a bona-fide, reputable, "known" type of church — with a substantial membership a nice building, a respectable minister. This, according to the minister on the program, would most assuredly 'solve all her spiritual problems. Did the minister mean to say there are churches which he would call "DESreputable?" Not if you asked him so directly. No more than the detergent ads would be cornered into saying the OTHER product (probably "brand X' — ugh!) leaves your clothes frighteningly DIRTY! Ever have a friend direct you to a "bad" doctor? Neither have you ever been advised to go to a "bad" religion, a "bad" philosophy, or a "bad" church. But, presumably, there are such things. The idea seemed to be that one is as good as another — so long as it's one of the name brands! In washers and dryers, stick to the BIG NAMES, and you're probably fairly safe. They give warranties, guarantees, service seals and the like. The various religious philosophies? Some are, admittedly, "reputable," while others are, well, let's say — NOT so "reputable." When one is asked the question — "If you belong to a different organization than I, do you believe you will be 'saved,' while I will be CONDEMNED?" How would the average "broadminded" person answer the question? It's difficult to know.
Whose Opinions Count?
Does the way we LOOK at it really matter? Will the opinions, the fancies, notions, ideas, guesses, superstitions, philosophies, convictions and beliefs of our friends and neighbors REALLY SAVE us? No. It is WHAT GOD SAYS that is important, not what people say about God. It's about time you came down off the fence of doubt, indecision, and the belief nothing can be proved to be ABSOLUTE! It's time you PROVED God exists — and time you saw what He says about His sacred TRUTH! Think about it — ponder it — are the analogies you just read APPLICABLE? Isn't the religious doubt and confusion about you a little hard to reconcile with Christ's PLAIN statement, "And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world"? (Matt. 28:20.) Jesus said, "I will build MY Church" (Matt. 16:18). He DID BUILD it! But did Jesus Christ leave each individual to decide for himself which interpretation, which philosophy, which comfortable idea best suits him? Did Christ leave a legacy of confusion? He said, "Thy WORD is TRUTH"! (John 17:17.) He was POSITIVE in His statements. He was absolute. He NEVER BUDGED AN INCH where sin was concerned! And people — people who like to be "broadminded" — HATED Him for it!
You need to make sure you REALLY PROVE God exists — that He DOES RULE in Heaven above, that His word is SURE — and that you can believe it, ABSOLUTELY! (Read our FREE booklet Does God Exist?) A visitor to the studio will sometimes ask me, "What is your belief about...?" My answer? "Well — you see — it's not important what I believe. What I believe is only my own personal, private OPINION! And the private OPINIONS of people are utterly worthless in the face of the proven, tested, accurate, absolute FACTS. Now, if you want to know what GOD PLAINLY SAYS on the subject..." and then I proceed to tell the visitor what God says! Think about it. Are you HONEST WITH YOURSELF? Do you check up to PROVE what you read in this magazine? Do you listen CAREFULLY to the statements I make on The WORLD TOMORROW broad cast? Do you read with an OPEN MIND, and do you PROVE each point to yourself, OUT If you do, then you are coming to know, and know that you know that you are in contact with the actual Work of Almighty God on this earth! OF YOUR OWN BIBLE?
What Are Our Motives?
You need to ask yourself — just what are we of The WORLD TOMORROW radio program, and TOMORROW'S WORLD magazine, "after"? Listen to a few of the facts! First, you hear a straight-talk half hour program which NEVER makes any emotional appeal, solicits funds, asks for contributions, or urges you to "join" any kind of an organization! Secondly, you are receiving what we feel is a most finely printed, top-quality, beautiful magazine — chock-full of straight-from-the-shoulder articles trying to serve, and to help you — and all absolutely FREE of charge! At your request, you can join the multiple thousands who are receiving, without tuition cost, our Ambassador College Correspondence Course. This FREE course takes you in a step-by-step method through the entire Bible in a gripping, scintillating and absorbing manner. At your request, you may receive any one of the many dozens of booklets and articles we send out, all absolutely FREE of charge. There is NEVER, in any of these booklets, any solicitation to "join" an organization — or any request for money. Others don't understand it. They say "HOW can you publish all this literature and such a fine magazine as TOMORROW'S WORLD and send it all out FREE?" Sometimes, when a few persecutors (who either sincerely misunderstand, disagree, or deliberately distort and wrest our words) write little tracts or pamphlets claiming to "expose" this great Work of God, they refer to our practice of giving away all this literature FREE. One such tract used the word "lavishly" when describing our practice of GIVING the Gospel to the world. The inference was that there must be something sinister, something hidden, something clandestine and evil in GIVING all this literature away absolutely FREE! But Jesus said, "FREELY ye have received, FREELY give"! (Matt. 10:8.) Again, what are our motives? Have we ever ASKED you for something? Or, on the other hand, don't you see us trying diligently to GIVE you something of great value — truly the "pearl of great price," the precious TRUTH of our Creator God, which comes to you FREE as the breath of air you breathe? Anything evil, anything sinister in that?
Are We Competing?
Analyze it further. Are we a competing organization — proselyting, trying to wrest away members from other organizations? If we were — don't you believe we should adopt a far DIFFERENT "doctrine"? The TRUTH which we preach is not easy. We don't apologize. We don't whine or gasp on the air. We don't sob, cry, scream, or add a grunting, explosive "UH!!" after every other word or so on the air. We do not attack organizations, churches, or individuals. Jesus had His persecutors. Ever read in the Gospels how Christ "answered them not a word"? It wasn't His personality, His manner of dress, His appearance that made them so angry. Had He just "gone along" with the rest of the world of His day — blending into His community, casually taking for granted everything taught by the various conflicting organizations of HIS day, Christ would have been a "regular guy," a "good Joe," readily accepted by all elements of society. But He came thundering the Gospel of the Kingdom of God! He came preaching the TRUTH of God! He came living a life exemplary of the very commandments and laws of God. That's what made them so angry. They simply couldn't understand how anybody could be that SURE he was right! They wondered, "Who gives this fellow the right to be right?" While they did bicker back and forth among themselves, there was a certain degree of "tolerance" between Essenes, Sadducees, Pharisees, Herodians and others. They were "broadminded" enough to live together fairly peaceably in the same communities. (Incidentally, which one of them did Jesus join? Write for our free article "Why So Many Denominations? ") Yes, just what are we after?
The Work of MEN — or the Work of GOD?
Frequently, those who have been carefully checking up in their own Bibles, and have been searching the Scriptures to PROVE the Truth of God will call upon us to send representatives to visit them in their own homes. We never call upon anyone unless it is specifically and voluntarily requested. But even after some have called upon us, without any solicitation on our part, and have asked us if they can "join" with us in this great Work of God — they want to be baptized, and become a very member of the Body of Jesus Christ — yes even then we do not baptize all of them, by any means. Why? Simply because we are preaching and teaching what the Bible says — not the "ideas" of man! In the Bible, there are definite, positive LAWS revealed. It is only when we have totally repented of having broken those laws, have come to God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, brokenheartedly — asking HIS forgiveness — and then have become willing to OBEY God, that we are truly qualified for baptism. Some, we find, simply do not understand. They see a work which they feel is the work of men. They sincerely want to have a part in it. They appreciate it, they are enthusiastic about it, and they want to help in it. But we don't baptize them if that's all they see — we are NOT a proselyting organization just out to get members. Again, what are our motives? Surely, you might think, if we were trying to build some type of competing organization, begin a "movement," or start a large "denomination" we should have to change our tactics, wouldn't you think? As I said, we should have to "adopt" (which would be direct disobedience to God's plain commands!) a price on TOMORROW'S WORLD just for a start. Do you begin to see? We are not just another voice among thousands — not just another label on the supermarket shelf — not just another size, brand name, or product which may be "better suited" to some people than to others. We ARE the very servants of the LIVING Jesus Christ of Nazareth preaching HIS Word, fulfilling HIS great commission to HIS own Body! And we do baptize those we find truly repentant according to the Word of God. If you feel YOU would like personal counsel about repentance, we would be happy to send our representatives to see you upon your personal request.
How Can You Prove It?
Again I say, "DON'T believe us!" Believe what you read in your own Bible! Isaiah wrote, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). The Apostle Paul urged, "PROVE all things, hold fast that which is good" (I Thes. 5:21). Luke wrote, in the book of Acts, of the Bereans who "received the word with all readiness of mind {as opposed to (NOT with) suspicion, hostility or resentment, but with an OPEN mind), and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). But the text goes on: "THEREFORE many of them believed" (verse 12). In other words, BECAUSE of their honest, forthright, open-minded zeal in wanting to prove the TRUTH, as opposed to the suspicious, resentful and biased approach of someone whose mind is already made up, these Bereans BELIEVED. And they believed the literal TRUTH! You, too, can PROVE where God's truth is available. You can prove, and come to really KNOW what is the only and the one true religion which Jesus Christ of Nazareth brought to this earth from His Father! You can come to know Jesus Christ is ALIVE today, that He RULES in His own true Church, which is His Body! Again we say, don't believe us — just because we say so. But believe us if and when you find we speak according to the very Word of God, and then only believe us as we speak according to that Word! The Apostle Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ"! (I Cor. 11:1.) What about it? Do you really WANT to know the truth? Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the TRUTH shall make you free"! (John 8:32.) The truth is available. We're doing our best, working day and night, striving to bring it to you — and to give it to you FREE, just as Jesus said.